By now you have heard about or have received something from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) with regard to the NEW Drug Free Safety Program (DFSP) which will be kicked off on July 1, 2010. In preparation of this program and the impact it will or can have on your business, please review the highlights of the program outlined below.

If your company is former participant of the DFWP or DFWP-EZ program and it has satisfied the five-year commitment or it was previously removed from either of these programs in the past, it is in your best interest to contact the Ohio BWC to determine if your company is eligible for the new program. Enrollment is currently going on now through June 30th, 2010 for the July 1, 2010 participation date.

FORMER BWC DFWP or DFWP-EZ PARTICIPANTS
This is a NEW BWC initiative and, as long as you meet the requirements of eligibility, you may participate in this new Drug Free Safety Program (DFSP). To determine which level in the new DFSP makes sense for you, you have to first determine if you are currently participating in a Group Rated Program as of July 2010. Then weigh the options of each level; Basic or Advanced, to determine which discount incentive level works for you.

CURRENT STATE CONTRACTORS (LEVEL 0)
If you are currently in the State Contractor LEVEL-0 Substance Abuse Program and are participating only to be eligible to bid on or provide labor services on state contract work, this NEW DFSP does not affect you. Keep in mind, you will continue to remain on the State Contractor Approved Database as long as you satisfy the requirements you currently have in place and submit your Self Assessment Report once a year.

CURRENT DFWP or DFWP-EZ PARTICIPANTS
The NEW BWC DFSP will replace these current programs as of July 1st, 2010. If you are a July participant, you should have completed all of your program requirements and submitted your Self Assessment Report at the end of March 2010. You are eligible to submit an application of enrollment for the NEW DFSP through June 30, 2010. Your current program will no longer exist as of July 1, 2010. If you are a January participant, you must fulfill the requirements of the current program you are participating in, and also submit your Self Assessment Report in September 2010. You can also submit your application to enroll in the new program through June 30, 2010.

If you have questions or would like additional information about the new program or substance testing itself, please do not hesitate to contact Anne White at awhite@medsource-one.com.